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Fire on Grand Avenue Claims Two Children – Young Victims Identified

October 23rd, 2014 by WCBC Radio

Maryland Deputy Fire Marshal Bruce Bouch confirmed Thursday that two girls were killed in a house fire in the early morning hours at 402 Grand Avenue in Cumberland. Although the children are believed to be Emily Edwards (7) and Halaina Smith (5), an official announcement won't be made until after the autopsy is performed.  The children’s parents and two siblings escaped the fire uninjured. The neighbors, two adults and two children in the other half of the duplex at 402 also escaped the blaze uninjured.

The fire broke out just before 3 a.m. Thursday at the  two-store wood-framed duplex. More than 40 firefighters from seven agencies brought the blaze under control within a half-hour of arriving. He said the autopsy will have to be completed before any the official cause of dealth can be determined. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but Bouch says there are no indications of foul play at this point. Residents of the duplex's other unit survived.  It's unclear how the fire started. Bouch says the duplex had working smoke alarms but no sprinklers.

WCBC News Photo by Bryan Gowans

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